Comments on: A Frugal Man And His Wii: Q&Ahttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/
Financial talk for the rest of usWed, 17 Jun 2015 14:27:21 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0By: Mikehttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-64620
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:54:45 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-64620Hey Trent–I thought you might find this Wii idea interesting: Over the course of the past few years, I’ve built a very simple and inexpensive backyard movie theater. I hook up a laptop, DVD player or video camera to a projector and project it onto a home made 10’x15′ screen. This spring, my girlfriend bought a Wii for our house (you know where this is going!) Tomorrow night, we are hosting a “Wiiesta” inviting friends and their kids over for an outdoor tournament (and serving fajWiitas!). One friend has her own Wii, so she will bring her two Wiimotes and we can play a real four-person tennis match.

Obtaining a projector is the only real expense. At first, my girlfriend borrowed one from her company. We used it often enough that I decided I wanted one of my own. I found a refurbished one for $800, but they have come down in price since then, and more are showing up on e-Bay. Some places rent them, or you may know someone who owns one.

For the screen, anything goes. Some people project onto the side of their house or garage; paint some plywood white; stretch out a silver tarp or bed sheets. I went a little more expensive: a friend was working at a company that makes vinyl outdoor sign banners, so I paid about $100 for a big, blank white banner with grommets. I stretch it with bungee cords over a simple 2×4 frame. My friends love it!

I also took the projector to Colorado for my parents’ 50th anniversary and projected hundreds of old photos onto the dining hall wall at a dude ranch. It was a big hit. So for me, the projector has been a very worthwhile investment that I plan to continue using for years.

If anyone is interested in creating their own back yard “drive-in” theater, visit backyardtheater.com. They have great forums on everything from screens to projectors to audio systems and more.

I strongly recommend experimenting with a borrowed or rented projector before investing in one: some folks may have unreasonably high expectations for the resolution; it ain’t high def (unless you REALLY shell out some bucks for a projector and professional screen).

]]>By: kchttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-58460
Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:51:35 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-58460you can pick up additional wii accessories and games for a very good price on ebay. so if you ever want to save $10-$15 on a game, you can find one that is new and sealed on ebay
]]>By: m360http://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-58384
Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:03:48 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-58384maybe I’m too simple but I like the older systems. I Picked up a nintendo a few years ago for $12 and have spent about $10 more on about 25 games. I don’t play most of them but they are good collectors items. Some of them are rare. My favorite ones are yoshi and DR Mario. I have a dance aerobics game wich looks like fun but I need to find the mat that goes along with it.
]]>By: Davehttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57924
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:58:19 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57924Regarding the controller, the classic controller is much better than the gamecube controller for some games. I tried playing Donkey Kong Country with a Gamecube controller, and it’s basically unplayable. Oh well, $20 is worth it, IMO.
]]>By: Chrishttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57917
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:43:51 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57917@icup

also good to weed out games that only take 7-10 hours to play through and don’t wind up giving you much for your $50

]]>By: icuphttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57914
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:41:00 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57914I don’t know if you knew this, but there is a netflix-esque service for videogames. think its called gamefly or something. Works the same way. I’m not a member myself, but have a friend who says its a good way to weed out the games that look good but end up being bad.
]]>By: Justinhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57906
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:21:37 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57906@Lauren: Absolutely; it doesn’t get stated enough that the Wii has 100% GameCube compatibility. It even has four GC controller ports and two GC card slots, and takes GC discs natively. As soon as I bought my Wii, I gave my GC and a wired controller to a friend, and kept my favorite games and the WaveBird. The Wii is literally two+ consoles in one. That said, I wouldn’t recommend using the GC controller to play SNES or N64 games. It just doesn’t map well. The Classic Controller is your best bet there.

@Chris: Agreed. The PS2 has legs like you wouldn’t believe. I’m waiting until the day it hits $50, then going on a spree for all the gaming I’ve missed over the years. (Ico, Shadows of the Colossus, Ratchet & Clank, etc.)

@Ben: Don’t buy the 360 core system! Trust me, you want the hard drive. MS promised that no games would require the HD, but that’s proving more and more difficult for developers, and rumour is that’s not going to last much longer.

]]>By: Nathanhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57897
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:53:56 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57897Just a word of caution: $300 on videogames costs the same as $300 on a year playing Magic. Still, provided he gets a year of enjoyment out of it, Trent is getting a better deal with the Wii, as he plays it with his wife, family, and friends.
]]>By: Dawnhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57895
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:51:48 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57895My son and I love Wii sports. I think it is a great investment for families.

My son will happily do chores AND extra work if he knows the fruit of his labor is going toward a
Wii game or accessory.

I almost pulled a muscle playing tennis

]]>By: Trenthttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57886
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:36:37 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57886That’s right – to play the NES or T-16 games, you don’t need a Classic controller – it’s just for the Super NES, N64, and some Genesis games.
]]>By: jungerhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57878
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:24:35 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57878Trent, I just got Mario Strikers charged for my birthday — want to share friend codes? I’m looking for someone who won’t destroy me in it — I’m still learning!
]]>By: Benhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57876
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:21:32 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57876I used to put a game in the nes, and slide another cartridge in on top to lock it in place. This worked pretty well.

Googling how to take it apart and clean (the conductors were crappy) is time worth spending.

If you are going to find a used NES, get the top loading re-designed one. You won’t have any problems with the flashing screen of death!

My parents are thinking of getting a Wii for a family christmas gift. I still haven’t tried it yet but I’ve been meaning to give it a shot.

Xbox 360 just dropped to 279.99 for the core unit if you’re looking for classic game capability and a next generation, HD level gaming system. It can be the best of both worlds.

]]>By: Fabulously Brokehttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57841
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:35:59 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57841I own the Wii Sports, Wii Play and Mario Party 8. That’s all I need. And I can play by myself on ALL of the games, or with my Husband, or with up to 2 other people (once we get 2 more controllers and have a permanent place to live in :P)

Fantastic game, my arms hurt so much after playing tennis (even if you don’t have to swing that hard), and we have a TON of fun playing together in the hotel rooms…

I, too, have my original NES, and would have difficulty getting it to work (blow in the console, blow on the cartridge). That is, until I took it apart and cleaned it. I Googled the directions and it was FUN to take apart and clean. Now, no more blowing!… and every game plugs right in and works GREAT!

As for gaming to be a ‘waste of time’, I get most of my good ideas while playing… and, also, I use that time to passively think and solve dilemmas in my life. A 3rd benefit, I can jump on my mini-trampoline while playing!

]]>By: Ericahttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57788
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:07:02 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57788The Wii was a fantastic purchase. We have had people over to play and not one has not enjoyed it, moreover it’s the ones who least enjoy gaming and generally don’t do very well that end up beating everyone at bowling, speaking from experience here :)
]]>By: Roscohttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57768
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:38:19 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57768I’m pretty sure you DON’T need the Classic Controller to play the emulated NES games. If you turn the Wiimote forty-five degrees so that the “+” is on the left, you can use it just like the original NES controller.
]]>By: SwingCheesehttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57711
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:28:17 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57711Haha, Sabrina, my husband and I have an original NES, and find ourselves doing a lot of that!! Oddly enough, putting the game in the freezer for a couple of minutes usually does the trick, although I can’t begin to fathom why. The games usually work long enough for me to get my Tetris fix, though!
]]>By: jasonnhttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57693
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:42:27 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57693I’d take a pass on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 for the Wii. The controls are really, really bad. I mean, just downright frustrating. If you are strangely curious at how bad they are, give it a rental and see for yourself. Otherwise, I’d stick with Wii Sports, as they managed to at least get the controls down.
]]>By: Sabrina's Money Mattershttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57680
Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:41:47 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57680It sure beats taking out the game, blowing on it, and hoping it doesn’t skip and act stupid. We have two original NES systems, but they’re more fun to look at than to play.
]]>By: Chrishttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57664
Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:43:02 +0000http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/08/15/a-frugal-man-and-his-wii-answering-a-plethora-of-reader-questions-about-the-purchase/#comment-57664I was fine with emulation for many years, mostly because nintendo and other companies refused to come up with a way to allow us to play our old games without dragging out outdated hardware and dealing with issues like nes games that won’t work (I stopped buying used games the day I bought a nes game that simply wouldn’t play on my system)

Now that companies have made a good business model out of old games I am again on the emulation is wrong train. I will bust out the java nes emulator sites for a kick at work during downtime, but beyond that i’d rather support the developers and buy the game son the wii/xbox 360 live arcade. (I still haven’t buckled down and bought anything on the wii virtual console but I did have to buy the old tmnt arcade game on the xbox when it came out, 5$ is far less than the amount of quarters i blew on that thing in my childhood).

I heartidly agree with ben that you don’t need to defend your hobby choice anymore than you have, and I agree with Lauren that buying an old gamecube controller is a much better deal than buying the classic controller, mostly because it gives you access to gamecube games which are extremely cheap.

However I do need to disagree with one note from your previous column, you said that the wii is “by far the least expensive console” If someone wants to get into videogaming and wants the best deal and access to the largest library of cheap games, then a ps2 is a much better deal. It’s still extremely relevant for at least another year, it’s current cost is 129.99 with a possible drop to 99.99 this year. Developers are still making games and it has a library of titles that must be at least six times larger than the gamecube.

However if you want the activities that the wii brings to the table and a console that is assured to have titles developed for it (be relevant) for at least 5 more years than splurge for the wii.